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We're closing the live page after another busy day as Europe under lockdown commemorated VE day, and new US figures revealed the devastating impact of the virus on jobs.

Here are Friday's main headlines:

• Large events to mark 75 years since the Allied victory in Europe in World War Two were cancelled across the continent - but communities and individuals remembered in their own ways. In Britain, the Queen addressed the nation, reminding us to "never give up, never despair"
• In the UK, a 14-day quarantine for people arriving from any country except the Republic of Ireland will be introduced, airlines say they have been told by the government
• The US unemployment rate has risen to 14.7% - meaning more Americans are out of work than since the Great Depression of the 1930s
• US Vice-President Mike Pence's press secretary has tested positive for the virus
• The World Health Organization warned that the pandemic could go on for years, and kill 190,000 in Africa in one year if containment fails
• Italy has become the third country in the world with more than 30,000 deaths

• There are now 3.8m confirmed cases of Covid-19 globally, and 268,000 people have died
• "Our streets are not empty, they are filled with love" the Queen said in her TV address - watch it here

Image source, YouTube

Reading has been one way to pass the time during lockdown for many - and an online "Hobbitathon" with Gollum actor Andy Serkis is helping thousands get through Monday.

Serkis is reading The Hobbit live - and in its entirety - in an effort to raise money for charity. The 56-year-old began streaming his online performance of JRR Tolkien's 1937 novel at 10:00 BST.

Fans have been watching the YouTube stream, with thousands of pounds raised for NHS Charities Together and Best Beginnings, according to The Hobbitathon's funding page.

"Thank you so much for joining me on this huge expedition we're about to go on in our living rooms," Serkis told viewers before he began the reading.

Image source, Getty Images

Disability sport will have a important part to play in building a "new normal" when the coronavirus crisis eases, says the head of the International Paralympic Committee.

The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games was postponed until 2021 because of the pandemic, although IPC president Andrew Parsons insists it will not threaten the sport's future.

"We are looking at the positives, what the new world will be when it comes to inclusion and diversity," Parsons told BBC Sport.

"We don’t want to go back to normal, normal has failed. We want to build a new normal.

"We need a world that is built by all, for all, and I think the Paralympics will have a very strong message here."

Parsons also says there is "a need for more discussion" about the impact of Covid-19 on people with impairment and disability, adding the IPC is lobbying national governments to discuss the issue more.

The Trump administration has announced that 20,000 undocumented migrants have been summarily expelled from the US since March.

In a statement, US officials cite Trump's order issued in late March, which shut the US border with Canada and Mexico to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

According to government figures, around 90% of migrants who entered the US in April have been deported.

Guy De Launey, BBC Balkans Correspondent

Thousands of people have been riding bicycles through the centre of Slovenia's capital, Ljubljana, in protest against the government of Prime Minister Janez Jansa.

The protest organisers accused Mr Jansa of violating human rights under the pretext of taking action against Covid-19. They said this included increasing police powers, inciting hatred against migrants and making personal attacks on journalists.

Environmental organisations also joined the protest. They say the government has inserted clauses into emergency legislation which would prevent NGOs from taking part in consultations about construction projects.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

The top aide to Mike Pence, whose positive test forced an abrupt change to the US vice-president's travel plans to Iowa today, has been named as his press secretary Katie Miller.

It comes day after another White House workers tested positive for the virus.

When asked about the possibility of an outbreak in the White House, Mr Trump told reporters: "All you can do is take precautions and do the best you can."

Ready more here:

US Vice-President Mike Pence's aide tests positive for coronavirus

A pregnant Canadian woman and her American husband say they're stuck in New York City after her husband was denied entry into Canada., external

Erika Lavelle's baby is due on 23 October, and she and her husband hoped to get out of the "war zone" in New York City, where they live.

But they were turned away by Canadian border security.

Other couples, external have had to separate, external since the coronavirus crisis shut the US-Canada border. Canada requires citizens to live in the country for at least six months out of the year to maintain health benefits, and many Canadians have returned out of fear their benefits would run out while abroad, leaving their spouses behind.

The border has been closed to all non-essential travel since 18 March. Exceptions are supposed to be made for immediate family of returning Canadian citizens, but it's up to the discretion of border security.

Tom Burridge
Transport correspondent

UK airlines say they have been told the government will bring in a 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving in the UK from any country apart from the Republic of Ireland in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The new restriction is expected to take effect at the end of this month. People arriving in the UK would have to self-isolate at a private residence. Government and aviation sources told BBC News that the quarantine would mean people might be expected to provide an address at the border.

It is not clear how long the new travel restriction would be in place and whether non-UK residents would be allowed to stay in rented private accommodation.

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Coronavirus shutdowns around the world have pushed countries into crisis-mode, prompting a massive rescue spending in an effort to soften the blow from what is expected to be the worst economic contraction since the 1930s.

In many countries, the aid is targeted at the poor or people working in the informal economy who are unlikely to get assistance through other programmes. In other cases, they are on the condition that a person's job has been affected by shutdowns.

Canada, for example, is providing C$2,000 (£1,150; $1,400) per month for up to four months to those who have lost income due to the pandemic, while Costa Rica is funding a monthly allowance of $220 (£177) for people who have lost their jobs due to the virus.

All Americans earning under $99,000 - an estimated 90% of households - are due to receive as much as $1,200 (£964) per adult, while South Korea's central government is sending cheques of up to KRW 1 million (£659; $820) to families in the bottom 70% income bracket.

Hong Kong in February announced a handout of $10,000 Hong Kong dollar ($1,280; £985) per adult; Japan is sending its citizens JPY 100,000 (£752; $931) per person, and Singapore $S600 (£340; $422).

Read more:

Coronavirus bailouts: Which country has the most generous deal?

Andrew Walker
World Service economics correspondent

There has been more evidence this week of the mounting economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to contain it.

In the US, another three million people claimed unemployment benefits and the unemployment rate has soared to almost 15% - the highest ever report in data first published in 1948.

• Read more: Pandemic sends US unemployment rate to 14.7%

The European Commission, in its latest forecast, predicts a decline in economic activity of 7.5% this year with what it calls an incomplete recovery in 2021. That would leave the EU economy still smaller than it was last year.

• Read more: 'EU facing deep and uneven recession'

It is now beyond question that the US, the EU and most of the world are in the throes of a very sharp recession. There are also concerns about just how convincing the recovery from it will be.

The longer the situation drags on, the more risk there is that businesses deprived of revenue will be unable to survive. For workers, longer periods of unemployment can make it harder to get new jobs.

If, however, the health crisis abates soon and the commercial world can safely return to relative normality fairly quickly, the lasting economic damage may be more moderate.

Women in Italy have demanded a greater role in the country's official response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Civil Defence's daily briefings on the crisis are chaired by men. No women were included in Italy's 20-member technical scientific committee (CTS) - a group of experts advising the government during the crisis.

In response, Italian women started a social media campaign to call for better representation. A petition started by the Dateci Voce ("Give us voice") group has been signed more than 4,500 times, including by MPs, scientist and researchers.

Italy is one of three countries - along with the United States and UK - to record more than 30,000 deaths.

The UK and the EU must continue to co-operate in the fight against the coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have agreed.

The pair spoke on Friday to discuss the response to the pandemic.

"Both leaders welcomed the good co-operation between the UK and the EU on the coronavirus, including the global effort to repatriate citizens," Mr Johnson's office said.

The prime minister congratulated the EU on the 7.4bn euros raised by the pledging conference it hosted on Monday, while Ms Von der Leyen thanked the UK for its £388m pledge for vaccines, treatments and diagnostics.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Deadly accidents involving children and firearms have gone up in the past two months, according to US researchers.

It comes after a record spike in gun sales while lockdown measures were first going into place around the US.

Fatal unintentional shootings jumped by 43% in March and April compared to average gun deaths during the same two months in the past three years, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.

"We know that there are risks to having guns in the home, and with the surge in gun sales in the last two months, it could create more opportunity for kids to gain access to guns and unintentionally hurt themselves or someone else," said Shannon Watts, founder of the group's volunteer network Moms Demand Action.

"The numbers show there's been an increase in these horrible shooting tragedies during the time the pandemic was at its peak."

Tens of thousands of US pork producers are facing a stark reality: although demand for their products is high in the nation's grocery stores, they may have to euthanise and dispose of millions of pigs due to a breakdown in the American food supply chain.

Although chicken and cattle farmers are facing a similar situation, as are milk and egg producers, because of the tight time frame between when a pig is born to when it is ready for slaughter, some of the most drastic actions are occurring on these farms first.

According to the Minnesota Pork Producers Association, an estimated 10,000 pigs are being euthanised every day in the state.

"On the same day that we're euthanising pigs - and it's a horrible day - is the same day that a grocery store 10 miles away may not get a shipment of pork," says third-generation pig farmer Mike Boerboom.

"It's just that the supply chain is broken at this point."

Read more:

Meat shortage leaves US farmers with 'mind-blowing' choice

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A financial support programme for European countries that use the euro has been agreed by finance ministers.

The package of €240bn ($260bn) will be available for eurozone governments hit hard by the pandemic - the money must be used to finance healthcare costs.

The EU economy has contracted by 7.7% this year.

The European Commission has meanwhile urged states to extend the ban on non-essential travel until 15 June.

Image source, PA Media

The Queen's address to the nation follows a day of commemorations across the UK for the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

Events included:

• A national moment of remembrance and a two-minute silence led by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall
• A flypast over London by the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows, while RAF Typhoon jets flew over Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast
• Socially-distanced street parties
• And solo buglers, trumpeters and cornet players were invited to play the Last Post from their homes.

Read more on the celebrations here.

A recording of Katherine Jenkins, performing a virtual duet with Dame Vera Lynn, is played after the Queen ends her message.

It also features key workers from around the UK joining in with the song.

Read more here on the Queen's message.

Referencing the coronavirus lockdown, the Queen says: “Today, it may seem hard that we cannot mark this special anniversary as we would wish.

“Instead we remember from our homes and from our doorsteps.

"But our streets are not empty, they are filled with the love and the care that we have for each other.

“And when I look at our country today and see what we are willing to do to protect and support one another, I say with pride that we are still a nation those brave soldiers, sailors, and airmen would recognise and admire.”

She ends her address, recorded at Windsor Castle, by sending her “warmest good wishes” to the nation.

“Never give up, never despair, that was the message of VE Day,” the Queen says.

“At the start, the outlook seemed bleak, the end distant, the outcome uncertain. But we kept faith that the cause was right and this belief, as my father noted in his broadcast, carried us through.”

But she says while Britain was celebrating the end of the war in Europe, it wasn’t until August that fighting ceased in the Far East.

“Many people laid down their lives in that terrible conflict,” she says.

“They fought so we could live in peace at home and abroad. They risked all so our families and neighbourhoods could be safe.”